Plier wrench



H. N. BOYER PLIER WRENCH Aug. 22, 1950 Filed Aug. 12, 1946 lll 3nventorHug/2 M 5 0 yer'.

- attorney ///X/////AK ////x/ ra Patented Aug. 22, 1950 PLIER WRENCHHugh Nrl doyerjnear Canfield, Ohio; Elizabeth M.- Boyer executrix ofsaid Hugh N. Boyer, deceased Application August 12, 1946, Serial No.689,859

f'llhisinvention relates to a plier wrench and more-particularly to awrerichin which the jaw portions are maintained in'pa'rallel'relationship, The principal object of;the.invention is the provision ofa plier-type wrench having jaws posh tioned for operation in parallelrelation.

A further. object of the invention is the provision of aplier wrenchhaving fixed andmovable jaw portions and a, handle and variable fulcrummeans for imparting motion to the said movable jaw portion. 7 v s -A'sti ll further object vof the, invention isthe provision of a plierwrench having fixed and movable jaw portions and means for moving themovable-jaw portion into engagement with the fixed jaw portion andmaintaining it'in engagement therewith. I v f v A still further objectof the invention'is the provision of a plier-type wrench having fixedand movable jaw portions, the said; movable jaw portion having aeornbination sl0t andpivot and multiple lever guiding and motivatingmeans The plier wrench shown and described herein has been designedinform a more satisfactory type tool than has heretofore been availableparticularly with respect to the relative positioning of the jawsof thewrench during their opening,

and closing operations, p p In the various plier-type, wrenches,heretofore known in the art, several meanshave been employed to move amovable jaw intoppposed relation with a fixed jaw and in so doing pivotthe movable jaw with the result that the, jaw moves in an arc and doesnot remain in parallel relation with the fixed jaw of the wrench. Thisconsiderably decreases the efliciency of the wrench as the work piecegrasped by the'wrench is not uniformly held unless it chances to be thepnecise size upon which the wrench will close with the jaws in parallelposition.

The present invention relates to a plier wre nch, the jaw portions ofwhich maintain their parallel relationship from'the completelyclosedposi: tion "to the widest possible opening. The'objects of theinvention are achieved by a novel manner of positioning, mounting andmoving the movable jaw of the wrench with relation'to the fixed jawthereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be 2 l made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention." a

The invention isillustrated in theaccompanyg ing drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a side view of the plier Wrench, 1

Figure2 is a front end view of the plier wrench.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

By referring to the drawings andFigures 1 and 2 in particular, it willbe seen' that the plier? wrench comprises a main member ill, the forwardportion of which is indicated by the numeral H and is provided with afixed jaw l2 or may not be integrally formed with body member ill. Therearmost portion "of'the body member H3 is indicated by the numeralgl3and takes the form of a tubular member in-, ternally'threaded for thereception of an adjust ment screw M which in turn is provided with anenlarged knurled end-section I5 and is capable of axial travel withrespect to the body member 18 by reason of its threadable engagementwith the end portion l3 thereof.

The plier wrench is provided with a movable jaw 16, a portion ll ofwhich is formed similarly to the jaw I2- and is adapted to registertherewith. The movable jaw body 16 is of'a generally triangular shapewith the apex; of 'the triangular shape forming the foremost portion ofthe jaw The base of the triangular shape lies atan- I7. angle ofinclination with respect to the axialdi mension of the body member H3.The jaw body It has a slot is formed therein on the same plane as thebase of the triangular-form of the movablejaw body it, In positioninythe wrench, the movable jaw body l6, and more particularly the slot53 therein, slidably engages a guide pin I9-positi0ned transversely ofthe body member 18, which is generally U-shaped in cross section?" withthe exception of the area adjacent the mov able jaw body |6 which is cutaway to form an opening generally indicated by the numeral 20;

It will thus be seen that the movable jaw body It can be moved towardand away from the 1 fixed jaw 52, and due to its positioning in the bodyIt of the wrench, the jaw I! will alwaysbe iniparallel relationship, tothe fixed'jaw l2.

Means for imparting movement to the movable jaw body It is provided andis responsible for maintaining the parallel spacing of the jaws l2 andIT. This means comprises a pair of similarly formed and positioned links2i, the uppermost ends of which are pivoted to the outer portions of thebody member I!) by means of a transversely positioned pivot pin 22 andthe rearmost which may the main ends of which are pivotally aflixed tothe movable jaw body [6 by means of a pivot pin 23. The pivot pin 23also serves as a point of attachment for the forward end of a handlemember 24 which is provided with a secondary transversely positionedpivot pin 25 rearwardly from the foremost end thereof by means of whicha fulcrum link 26 is pivotally affixed to thehandle 2,4. The oppositeendof the fulcrum link 2:; lies within the body member it which is U-shapedin cross section and is provided which the innermost pointed end of thethreaded adjusting screw l4 engages.

It will thus be seen that theplier-wren-cnheree in disclosed ispossessed of two-desirable quailties, one of which is its ability tomaintain the jaws l2 and Il thereof in parallel relation, and the otherof which is its abiity to be locked. on or snapped on to an objectbetween the jaws I2. and H regardless of its size by thesimple expedientof adjusting the adjusting screw Ht into. or out of thebcdy, member Hiandhencc varying the effective length of the fulcrum link 26.

In order that the movable jaw, body It ma be normally biasedinto openposition, alcoil spring 28 is attached to an eyelet 29 formed in thebase of the movable jaw body it. The other end of'the coil spring 28 isafhxed to a pint!) transversely positioned in the body member IEL Byreferring now to'Figure 3 of the drawings in which a vertical crosssection of the plier wrench is shown, it will be seen that the act ofmoving the handle 24 upwardly toward the body member it results inaforward movement of theforward end. of the handle 29, by reason of thepair of links. 2! describing an are based on the pivot pin 22. Themotion thus imparted to. the movable jaw body l6 adjacent. its baseportion moves the movable jaw body l6. up.- wardly with respect to. thefixed jaw l2 maintaining the jaw i! in parallel relationship with thejaw l2 throughout the movement by reason of the controlled movement ofthe movable jaw body resulting from the guiding action of the guide pinl9' cooperating with the slot ldformed" the arc of the pivot" pin in themovable jaw body I It willbe observed that 23 is controlled by the pairof links 2? based on the pivot pin 22 and that theangular posi tioningof the slot i8, with respect to-the axial plane oi the handle member IDof the'plier wrench, imparts a controlled and guided motion to themovable jaw parallel spacing and positioning of the jaws l2 and i? atall times.

The second action of the wrench, comprising its abilityto maintainitself in position on an object positioned between the jaws l2 and H,results from the positioning of the fulcrum link 26- and its pointofpivot on the pivot pin 2'5 on the It will be obvious that when the.

handle 24. pivot pins 23 and line up with the socket z'l' in the upperrearmost end of the fulcrum link 26; a. direct, on center action isobtained and that when the handle 2-: is moved further to.-

ward the body member I6, an off-center looking;

with a socket 21 with body l6" resulting in the" action is achieved tohold the movable jaw body l6 firmly locked with respect to the bodymember I0 and jaw l2 therein.

It will thus be seen that a simple and efficient plier wrench has beendevised which is simply formed by reason of its unique formation, iscapable of maintaining the movable jaw body It thereof in parallelrelation with the fixed jaw l2 thereof at all times, and that it is alsocapable of being looked upon an object with a snap tight locking action.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A plier type wrench including a body memher having a fixed jaw and amovable jaw positioned therein, a pin positioned transversely of thebody member and a slot formed in the said movable. jaw and the pinregistering in the said slot, means for imparting movement to the saidmovable jaw, the said means comprising a pair of. longitudinally spacedlinks pivotally engaging. the body member, a handle pivotally affixed tosaid links and spaced with respect to said body member, one of the saidpair of longitudinally spaced links and one end. of said handlebeingpivotally afiixed on a common pivot on said movable jaw, the, other oneof the said pair of longitudinally spaced links forming a fulcrum link.

2. A plier type wrench comprising an elongated body member having afixed jaw at one end thereof disposed angularly with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the body member, a movable jaw having agrippingportion disposed outwardly fromv said fixed jaw and having a baseportiondisposed angularly outward from said axis, meansmounting saidmovable jaw on said body member comprising means providing a slidingpivotal connection between the inner part of said base portion and saidbody member and a link pivotally connected at its outer end to the outerend of said base portion and pivotally connected. at its inner end tosaid body member, a handle pivotally connected at one end to saidmovable jaw member at the point of connection of said link andpositioned outwardly of but generally a fulcrum link angularly disposedwith respect to said axis and having its outer end pivotally connectedto said handle and its inner end pivotally engaging the body member atan adjustable point along the opposite end portion of said" body member.

HUGH N. BOYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file-ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 763,227- Walden June 21-, 19041=,l45,067 Kelly July 6, 191'5r 2,066,716 Cruickshank: Jan. 5, 19372,206,251 Fischer July 2, 1940: 2;280,0.05 Petersen Apr. 14, 1942- 2399A54 Snell Apr. 30, 1946 parallel with said body member, and"

